Hi! It’s me, reporting live 7 months post Hodgkin’s Lymphoma chemo. I’m actually going to say it’s 6 months post chemo, because I got blasted with chemo twice (thx doc) so I lost my hair TWICE! The first time it grew back straight, the second time..Afro. It didn’t actually start growing until 6 weeks post chemo and my last chemo was August 3rd.

My hair has grown an insane amount within these 6-7 months. I didn’t start taking Biotin until a few weeks ago, because my doctor scared me and doesn’t want me taking any vitamins. So, I haven’t taken any. I honestly use SO much crap on my hair that I can’t tell you exactly what it is that is making it grow like a weed..it’s definitely not my diet because I still have no appetite from chemo and radiation and have to force myself to eat! Eff Hodgkin’s Lymphoma!

So here are my tips and tricks of the trade for post chemo hair growth! I work for a Dermatology Pharmaceutical Company, and of course I have a lot of Derm and PA friends that help me grow this fro! (Thanks Kim love you!) So here goes:

I originally got cortisone injections in my scalp from my Dermatologist to promote hair growth, but I stopped because people told me they would make holes in my head and I got scared. But here is my routine!

SHAMPOO is key.

Glytone Anaphase Shampoo is amazing and promotes hair growth. I use this every other day. You can order it on Amazon or purchase it at a Dermatology office.

I use Ketoconazole 2% Shampoo ONCE per week. This is prescription. Supposedly it reduces inflammation, which you have if you have alopecia. It also reduces the activity of sebaceous glands. These are attached to your hair follicles and excess sebum production can affect the hair growth process. Excuse my lingo, you’re talking to a pharmaceutical rep. It also has anti-androgenic effects, so I highly recommend getting an rx for this!

OILS:

I use castor oil a few times a week and sleep with it in. I’ll either rinse it out in the morning if I want to wear my pixie, or throw a wig on! You can order this on Amazon, or I’m sure they have it at Whole Foods.

This is an oil that I put on my head and sleep with it minimum of twice a week and I swear it’s amazing. Available on Amazon. It’s called Essential 17.

HAIR MASKS:

So, I live in Miami and all of my friends are Latin. I’m not really sure what this mask does exactly but it’s around $5 and is AMAZING! I leave it on twice a week for about an hour then rinse out. It helps promote hair growth and is cheap! Plus, they have a leave in conditioner too, which I love! If you have a Navarro or somewhere similar to that, you can get them both there. Or order online. FYI, everything is in Spanish!

HAIR BOTOX!

Ok, this is a Miami thing, but I have a bunch of girlfriends that are hair dressers and this stuff made my hair grow so much! I have done it once every 6 weeks ish but definitely consult with someone before you do it. It gives your hair more body and shine while eliminating frizz. It’s similar to Keratin, but with no formaldehyde, so it does NOT damage your hair! Basically you can do it yourself. Cleanse your hair, blow dry 80%, wash out, then blow dry and straighten. You can get it done at a salon, but I do it myself. You can order it on eBay too and it’s cheap!

BIOTIN I started taking 5,000 mcg x day, I use the one from Trader Joe’s. I also started using Viviscal hair growth vitamins last week. The Derms say that they are the best on the market for hair growth. I will let you know!

If you check my Instagram @jessdecris you can see how crazy long my hair is blow dried. But yes…I DO have chemo curls!

Wishing everyone love, light, good health, and long hair! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! I’m a pro at this hair growth stuff.